Smith's upstate cabinet

Senate Democratic Leader Malcolm Smith won’t be naming all of his committee assignments in about a half hour, as previously hinted and noted in some reports, but he’ll be handing out assigments to two upstate Senators, Neil Breslin of the Albany area and Bill Stachowski of Buffalo.
While Breslin is said to be in line to head the Insurance committee when Dems take control of the Senate, Stachowski, who may be getting aced out of the Finance chairmanship by Gang of Three mastermind Carl Kruger, could end up as deputy majority leader to another member of the G.O.T., Pedro Espada Jr.

Speaking on Talk 1300’s Fred Dicker show Smith also tried to shoot down speculation that the deal he worked out with the G.O.T. — Espada, Kruger and Ruben Diaz Sr. — to keep them from voting with Republicans, (the Senate next year will be in Democratic control by a slim 32-30 seat majority) might not hold up to a vote of the Democrats as a whole. Lots of them are doubtlessly wondering whats to keep them from threatening to defect in order to extract more power and concessions.

Smith said he commands loyalty in his conference due to the simple fact that he brought them to what is frequently termed “The Promised Land” or Democratic control of the Senate for the first time since 1965.

As to the Gang of Three, he added, “I think it’s very disrespectful to call them a gang.”

Smith, who is brings something of a New Age business mentality to his job (remember ZOPA or Zone of Potential Agreement?) also said he’d like to highlight Senate Democratic goings-on with Twitter and the Daily Kos.